SENDAI —
The land ministry’s regional development bureau for northeastern Japan will compile a map recording areas submerged by major tsunamis, including the ones triggered by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake in March, and post it on its website possibly in mid-June, bureau officials said Saturday.

The map will cover cities, towns and villages on the Pacific coast that were hit by tsunamis following the March 11 quake that struck mainly northeastern and eastern Japan, with the aim of helping such municipalities prepare specific restoration plans, the officials said.

It will also mark areas submerged by tsunamis following the 1896 and 1933 quakes off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan and the 1960 Chilean temblor, and include information on upland areas where residential districts can be transferred.

The map will show the planned course for a road to be constructed connecting a 220-kilometer distance between Miyako, Iwate Prefecture and Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, which is envisioned to serve as a main traffic route after the Tohoku region recovers from the disaster.

Based on requests from local municipalities, the bureau is considering adding information on the topography of locations where land depression occurred as a result of the March quake and the extent of subsidence in those areas, the officials said.